living independently for today and tomorro...strength and not a weakness. i find it difficult to...
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The LIFTT Connection Spring 2012 12
Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow 3333 2nd Avenue North Suite #100 Billings, MT 59101
The LIFTT Connection Spring 2012 1
THE LIFTT CONNECTION
The LIFTT Connection is published by Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow, an independent living center providing services across 18 eastern Montana counties with offices located in Billings and Glendive. http://www.liftt.org Spring 2012
In This Issue:
Consumer Spotlight- Women Be Healthy Class
DREDF Transportation Survey
Accessible Technology Fair and ADA Celebration set for July 26
th
IL Skills Training Classes to Start Soon
The Continuing Adventures of a Youth Advocate
Making your Voice Heard: Voting in the June Primary
WIPA to Formally End June 30
Meeting the Challenge: Definition of a Disability (Part III)
Thanks to the Billings Chamber of Commerce
Contacting your elected leaders
Telemarketing Do Not Call List
Power Chair for Sale
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Consumer Spotlight: Women Be Healthy Editors Note: Each issue LIFTT will recognize a consumer or group of consumers whose story exemplifies the sprit of Independent Living Statistics gathered by public health officials at the state and federal level over the last several years have uncovered an alarming trend: Women with intellectual and developmental disabilities forgo basic gynecological care such as breast and cervical cancer screenings at a rate far higher than the general populations which in turn leads to a higher rate of cancer and other problems among this group. To assist in counteracting this trend a national consortium of groups has developed a curriculum called “Women Be Healthy.” According to the program’s training documents, the purpose of the “Women be Healthy” Curriculum is to “Teach women with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities about reproductive health and breast and cervical cancer screenings and to promote each woman’s active participation in her healthcare. Recently a group of women completed the eight week course in Billings under the guidance of LIFTT staff members Lori Gaustad.
The class used a variety of techniques to help the students learn about their health, reduce fear and anxiety associated with certain medical
Students from the spring
2012 “Women Be
Healthy” Class
From left: Janie, Fonetta,
Lynette, Tiffany, Ashley
and Loretta.
Photo courtesy Lori Gaustad
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procedures and become more assertive when in medical situations. The techniques used included art projects, role playing and even a field trip to examine equipment and meet staff at a local medical facility. Over the course of the eight weeks the women involved not only absorbed the vital medical information being imparted to them but developed a sense of friendship and camaraderie. After completing the Women be Healthy curriculum, the group decided they weren’t done learning and they are now enrolled in another class “Living Well with a Disability.” The women are working towards perhaps having a plot in a community garden this summer. §
Your Opinion Needed on Transportation As part of its ongoing research into transportation and the Americans with Disabilities Act, The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund is currently looking for participants to take a short web based survey entitled “Public Transportation Choices by People with Disabilities. Participants’ responses will help DREDF understand what factors are most important to riders with disabilities when deciding which transit mode to use. The confidential results will be part of a national study called Transit Cooperative Research Project B-40: Strategy Guide to Enable and Promote the Use of Fixed-Route Transit by People with Disabilities. The goal of this project is to develop strategies to improve bus and train systems for people with disabilities. To participate in the survey go to http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/882523/TransitChoices. §
“We need investment in transportation and investment in people.”
-California Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia
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Save The Date! Accessible Technology Fair and ADA Celebration to be held July 26
th
Planning is underway for the first annual LIFTT Off! event. This year's event will be held on Thursday July, 26 at the Billings LIFTT office 3333 2nd Avenue North. The event which is scheduled to coincide with the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law will include an Accessible Technology Fair and a BBQ. For more details and information contact LIFTT Public Relations Coordinator, Jed Barton at (406) 294-5186 or stay tuned to LIFTT's website, Facebook page and Twitter feed. §
IL Skills Training Classes to begin soon LIFTT is pleased to announce that we will be offering several new independent living skills classes and workshops in the coming weeks and months.
Topics for workshops include: Housing, Youth Transitions, Disability Awareness, Transportation, Living Well with a Disability, Medicaid, Advocacy, Assistive Technology and the History of Independent Living.
More information about dates times and locations of classes will be posted to LIFTT’s website and Facebook page when available or you can call LIFTT at (406) 259-5181. §
“Let us use all of our creativity to explode the
truth in the face of the nation.”
-Justin Dart
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It’s More Than IL Baby!! By Hanna Carstensen
Hi, it’s Hanna Carstensen again. If you were curious about what happened
with my request in the last LIFTT quarterly newsletter, just keep reading.
After weeks of impatient and nervous waiting, I finally got the results of my
request to the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living
(APRIL) to consider making a youth ad hoc committee. In case you do not
remember, I made this request because I did not feel the youth on the
APRIL board really represented the views and needs of youth ages 12-17.
Well, my request for a youth ad-hoc board was denied.
The board denied my suggestion because they did not want a “kids’
table.” They believe that youth should have a seat at the table, but that the
youth should not be kids. I am still thinking about that one. In the
meantime, I decided that I was not going to let a bump in the road get in my
way. Soon after my suggestion was passed over, two women contacted
me. Sierra Royster and Cara Wherley were interested in my involvement in
youth advocacy. Sierra Royster is one of the youth members of the APRIL
board. Sierra said that my suggestion had made them look deeper into a
youth advocacy committee. They already have a youth peer-to-peer
committee and a youth steering committee. Sierra thought that a youth
advocacy committee would be a good add on. Sierra invited me to join
them on a conference call Friday April 13th, 2012. I accepted, because it is
a step towards what I want, which is for youth to have a voice, “Nothing
about us without us!”
Cara Wherley is a member of the Montana Youth Task Force (MYTF). Cara
Wherley also invited me to a conference Monday April 9th, 2012. I also
accepted.
I have been thinking about the priorities I would want to advance for youth
my age who have a disability. I thought about the school I presently attend.
I concluded the following:
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I want to get kids with disabilities involved around my school and,
hopefully, with other schools.
I think if we use technology with kids that will help them get involved.
I know students with disabilities often feel they are not part of the
school community or think they are “less than” other students. The
school environment as it is physically set up has an effect on their
self-esteem. I want to model to them how to use their disability as
strength and not a weakness. I find it difficult to stand by and watch
kids with disabilities drown in their desire to be normal. I want to
teach them how to embrace that they ARE different and help them
strive to be unique.
As a peer mentor for Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow
(LIFTT), I would like to travel to schools to present about equality and
diversity. I hope to communicate that there is no such thing as “normal”
because nobody’s the same. I hope to teach students, all students, how to
celebrate diversity and embrace their own unique selves. I want to tell
youth with disabilities to honor themselves as people and understand their
disability is just a part of them as a person. I’ll mentor them on how to get
over bumps in the road.
I believe if heroes of this country did not stand up for what they and others
believed in there would be no such thing as America. There would be no
civil rights. If people like Martin Luther King Jr. or Justin Dart did not exist,
there would still be segregation at its worst. Though we still have work at
hand to build on their momentum, I feel we have navigated the roughest
bumps in the road. We as youth need to shout and model “Lead On”!
Like the English writer John Donne said “Be thine own palace, or the
world's thy jail.” which means that you have to be yourself or the world will
trap you. Nobody likes to be trapped; freedom is the goal.
I am asking all youth to join me in teaching to others the strength of their
own uniqueness! Please join me on this journey and lead with me as we
make change. §
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Register Now to Vote in the June 5th Primary
Election
“The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for
breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”
-President Lyndon Johnson The 2012 Primary Election is scheduled for June 5. Up for grabs are the Republican and Democratic Nominations for President, Governor, US Senate, US House, all 100 seats in the Montana House of Representatives, 25 of 50 seats in the Montana Senate and numerous local offices. Voting in an election is an important tool that exists for citizens to determine the course of action that their government will take. So if you want a government that will reflect your thoughts and beliefs it is vital that you register to vote and, having done so, actually cast a ballot. To register to vote contact your local county election office (see table below) or you can obtain a voter registration form online at sos.mt.gov. If you need assistance in registering to vote you can contact LIFTT government affairs coordinator Jed Barton at (406) 294-5186 or [email protected]§
County Election Administrator
Phone Email
Big Horn Dulcie Bear Don’t Walk
665-9796 [email protected]
Carbon Sally Rodibaugh
446-1220 [email protected]
Carter Pamela Castleberry
775-8749 [email protected]
Custer Linda Corbett 874-3343 [email protected]
Dawson Jeanne Clapp 377-3058 [email protected]
Fallon Brenda Wood 778-7106 [email protected]
Garfield Janet Sherer 557-2760 [email protected]
Golden Mary Lu Berry 568-2231 [email protected]
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Valley
McCone Mari Kassner 485-3505 [email protected]
Musselshell Jane Mang 323-1104 [email protected]
Powder River
Karen Amende 436-2361 [email protected]
Prairie Toni Kalfell 635-5575 [email protected]
Richland Stephanie Verhasselt
433-1708 [email protected]
Rosebud Geraldine Custer
346-7318 [email protected]
Stillwater Pauline Mishler 322-8000 [email protected]
Treasure Ruth Baker 343-5547 [email protected]
Wibaux Patricia Zinda 796-2481 [email protected]
Yellowstone Bret Rutherford 256-2740 [email protected]
Workforce Incentive Planning Program to formally end June 30 The Social Security Administration has announced that barring last minute congressional intervention it plans to shut down the Workforce Incentive Planning Program effective June 30. The program known as WIPA provides counseling to people with disabilities who receive SSDI or SSI benefits seeking to return to work. Despite the loss of federal funding LIFTT is committed to continuing to offer benefit planning services to people with disabilities. For more information contact LIFTT at (406) 259-5181. §
Meeting the Challenge: How Does the ADA Define Disability?
Editors Note: LIFTT is pleased to present the final part this three part series of columns by Cindy Powell of the Rocky Mountain ADA Center. The Rocky Mountain ADA Center is one of ten regional “one-stop” comprehensive Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) resource centers. Located in Colorado Springs Colorado, the Rocky Mountain ADA Center serves a six state region: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
The LIFTT Connection Spring 2012 9
The Rocky Mountain ADA Center provides technical assistance, education and training, public awareness, materials dissemination, and information and referral to employers, businesses, state and local government agencies, disability and rehabilitation programs, people with disabilities, architects, code officials, schools and many other entities with rights and responsibilities under the ADA. Though the ADA protects people with disabilities from being discriminated against on the basis of their disability, the ADA does not entitle people with disabilities to jobs, benefits, programs or services for which they are not otherwise qualified. For example, a Meals on Wheels program requiring that participants who receive meals must be 55 years or older is not required to serve a 50-year-old person who has a disability, regardless of how much that person might need the service. Also protected from disability-based discrimination are people who are associated with individuals with disabilities. For example, if a sports arena refuses to admit a person as a result of her mobility impairment and her sister, the arena would be discriminating against both individuals. Under the ADA, a qualified person with a disability is someone who meets a program’s eligibility requirements with or without:
reasonable modifications to rules,
policies or practices, auxiliary (communications) aids and services,
or removal of architectural, communications or transportation barriers. The ADA requires employers to focus on the essential functions of a job to determine whether an applicant or employee with a disability is qualified. A qualified individual with a disability is someone who “satisfies the skills, experience, educational and other job related requirements of the position, and who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of such position.” Once again, an employer is not required to hire or retain an individual with a disability who is not qualified to perform the job. The ADA prohibits retaliation or coercion after a qualified person with a disability or their associate has filed a discrimination complaint with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). For example, if a state tax office delays a tax refund for an
The LIFTT Connection Spring 2012 10
individual who filed a complaint regarding inaccessibility of their office, the state has illegally retaliated against the complainant. Another example of unlawful retaliation is a restaurant refusing to serve a customer who filed an ADA complaint against the restaurant. §
Thank You Billings Chamber of Commerce! LIFTT would like to take this opportunity to again thank the Billings Chamber of Commerce/Convention and Visitors Bureau for making LIFTT the beneficiary of the proceeds from the “Heads or Tails” game at this year's Salespersons Breakfast. This generous donation from the chamber is greatly appreciated as LIFTT looks to further our work assisting persons with disabilities to lead independent, productive, and fulfilling lives.§
Where to Contact Your Elected Leaders Please remember to be respectful when calling, writing or emailing elected officials. The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact or (202) 456-1111 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm or (202) 224-3542 Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): http://mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm or (202) 224-2541 Montana US Senator Max Baucus (D): http://baucus.senate.gov/?p=contact or (202) 224-2651 Montana US Senator Jon Tester (D): http://tester.senate.gov/Contact/index.cfm or (202) 224-2644 House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH): http://www.speaker.gov/Contact/ or (202) 225-0600
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House Republican Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA): http://cantor.house.gov/contact/ or (202) 225-4000 House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): http://www.democraticleader.gov/contact or (202) 225-0100 Montana Congressman Dennis Rehberg (R): http://rehberg.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=62§iontree=6,62 or (202) 225-5687
“Do-Not-Call-List” Registration Information
A national Do-Not-Call Registry exists to address unwelcome telemarketing calls. The registry applies to all telemarketers, with the exception of business with whom you have an established relationship and certain non-profit and political organizations. Subject to certain exceptions, commercial telemarketers are not allowed to call you if your number is listed on the registry. Consumers may register their residential telephone number, including wireless numbers, on the national Do-Not-Call registry at no cost, either by telephone or via the Internet. To register by telephone call 1-888-382-1222. For TTY, call 1-866-290-4236. You must call from the telephone number you wish to register. You may also register or obtain additional information via the Internet at http://www.donotcall.gov. Inclusion of your telephone number on the national Do-Not-Call registry will be effective 31 days following your registration.§
Power Chair for Sale For Sale: An Invacare Pronto M41 Electric Scooter with battery charger. Range: 12 miles, Speed: up to 5 mph, Weight Limit: 300 lbs, Back height: 23.5 inches w/headrest, width 24 inches, total height 41.5 inches, total
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chair weight w./battery: 175 lbs. $1200 or best offer. For more information or to purchase contact Sue Nance at [email protected].